The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd and J.A. Adande talk with NBA Hall of Famer Chris Mullin to discuss the evolution of the Golden State Warriors from the Run TMC era to the Steph Curry dynasty.
Mullin reflects on his time alongside Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond, explains why Run TMC was broken up before reaching its full potential, and shares how the We Believe Warriors helped reignite basketball in the Bay Area. As a former Warriors executive, he also takes us inside the moves that helped lay the foundation for one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.
We also dive into Steph Curry's impact on basketball, the evolution of the three-point shot, the legendary 1992 Dream Team, the KD Warriors, and whether Golden State's championship teams will stand the test of time.
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Historian Dominic Erdozain — author of To Love a Country — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a deeply thoughtful conversation about the difference between Americanism and the actual promise of America, and what it means to love a country honestly rather than mythologically. Erdozain argues that Joe Biden's "this is not who we are" framing of Trump-era nationalism was simply not accurate — the darker currents in American life are very much part of who we've always been, and pretending otherwise makes them harder to confront. He pushes back hard on the version of American exceptionalism that requires looking down on others, noting that while America was a genuine pioneer of democracy, it was painfully slow on feminism and racial equality, and that democracy itself can become a hollow shell for something tyrannical when it's imposed rather than consented to. Erdozain offers a fascinating historical excavation of how the South's distinct identity was forged by the Civil War, why that war seeded the worst possible conditions for Black freedom, and how Germany managed to avoid the "lost cause" mythology that still poisons American politics. He even takes aim at the Gettysburg Address — arguing its soaring language was later weaponized to justify wars it was never meant to bless, and that the enduring American myth that unity comes through blood and conflict is a dangerous one.
The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on patriotism, war, and historical memory. Erdozain observes that today's reviled "elites" are essentially the "Yankees" of the 19th century in the Southern imagination, that the greatest war hawks tend to be people who never actually fought, and that America still hasn't reckoned with how profoundly 9/11 changed its society — pointing out that the people who championed the Iraq war have never been ostracized for it. He reflects on John F. Kennedy's hard-won realization that weapons alone were never the true guarantor of American security and Kennedy's deliberate effort to dampen American hatred of the Soviets, contrasts that with the "peace through strength" mantra of the Reagan era, and warns about the very real danger of a proxy conflict spiraling out of Ukraine. Erdozain argues that the "city on a hill" mentality, however flattering, inevitably curdles into nationalism — and that whenever a country fully embraces nationalism, someone always loses their freedom. But his book isn't a counsel of despair: he makes the case that America's singular ability to assimilate immigrants is one of its true superpowers, and that genuine patriotism means challenging the country to actually live up to the ideals it committed to paper. His closing pitch for why both a liberal and a conservative should read the book is the heart of the whole conversation — loving a country, like loving a person, means holding it to its highest self rather than excusing its worst instincts.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
01:46 Dominic Erdozain (To Love A Country) joins The Chuck ToddCast
03:46 Americanism vs. the promise of America
04:46 America’s founders believed in John Locke’s natural rights
06:01 2016 was traumatic between Brexit & election of Trump
07:01 Biden’s “This is not who we are” framing of nationalism wasn’t accurate
08:01 American exceptionalism can’t come with looking down on others
09:46 America is a pioneer democracy but slow on feminism & racial equality
11:01 Democracy can’t be imposed on others, it requires consent
12:16 Democracy can become a shell for something tyrannical
13:31 America’s “southern identity” was created by the civil war
14:16 The civil war seeded worst possible grounds for black freedom
15:16 How did Germany avoid “lost cause” mentality seen in American south?
16:31 What the Gettysburg address got wrong
17:31 The language of the address was used to justify many other wars
18:31 The myth is that unity comes through blood and conflict
19:16 Today’s “elites” are basically the “Yankees” of the 19th century
20:46 A civil society is one that’s in a state of peace
22:01 Avoiding a cult mentality when professing love of country
23:46 When a country embraces nationalism, someone loses freedoms
26:16 Accounts of history tend to be infused with the authors biases
28:16 The “patriotic myth” infused into cold war & Iraq war mythology
29:01 We create new myths to tell stories about ourselves
30:31 Kennedy tried to dampen down hatred of the soviets
32:46 Greatest war hawks tend to be people who never fought
34:01 We haven’t reckoned with the changes to American society post 9/11
35:31 The people who championed Iraq war haven’t been ostracized
37:31 JFK realized that weapons weren’t the guarantor of American security
39:16 America’s projection of soft power wasn’t purely altruistic
40:46 What does Reagan’s “peace through strength” mantra mean to you?
42:31 Fear the development of a proxy war that spirals out of Ukraine
44:46 The “city on a hill” mentality will lead to nationalism
47:46 America’s ability to assimilate immigrants is one of its superpowers
49:01 Book is challenging Americans to live up to the ideals we put on paper
50:31 Why should a liberal and a conservative read this book?
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Chuck Todd reacts to Tuesday's elections and what the fallout means for both parties. Then he discusses the latest on the US-Iran deal and why it's already a failure for the Trump administration, and why the Kennedy Center and White House ballroom drama signals the beginning of the end for the Trump era. Also, he discusses the most underreported story of the week. Plus, the Top 5 most underrated elections and "Ask Chuck".
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary due to advertisements):
01:42 - Election reaction
12:22 - Failure for Trump in Iran
23:59 - Beginning of end of Trump era
36:11 - Week's most underreported story
49:13 - Top 5 most underrated elections
58:43 - Ask Chuck



See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd reacts to Tuesday's elections and what the fallout means for both parties. Then he discusses the latest on the US-Iran deal and why it's already a failure for the Trump administration, and why the Kennedy Center and White House ballroom drama signals the beginning of the end for the Trump era. Plus, he discusses the most underreported story of the week.

Then historian Dominic Erdozain — author of To Love a Country — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a deeply thoughtful conversation about the difference between Americanism and the actual promise of America, and what it means to love a country honestly rather than mythologically. Erdozain argues that Joe Biden's "this is not who we are" framing of Trump-era nationalism was simply not accurate — the darker currents in American life are very much part of who we've always been, and pretending otherwise makes them harder to confront. He pushes back hard on the version of American exceptionalism that requires looking down on others, noting that while America was a genuine pioneer of democracy, it was painfully slow on feminism and racial equality, and that democracy itself can become a hollow shell for something tyrannical when it's imposed rather than consented to. Erdozain offers a fascinating historical excavation of how the South's distinct identity was forged by the Civil War, why that war seeded the worst possible conditions for Black freedom, and how Germany managed to avoid the "lost cause" mythology that still poisons American politics. He even takes aim at the Gettysburg Address — arguing its soaring language was later weaponized to justify wars it was never meant to bless, and that the enduring American myth that unity comes through blood and conflict is a dangerous one.

The conversation broadens into a sweeping meditation on patriotism, war, and historical memory. Erdozain observes that today's reviled "elites" are essentially the "Yankees" of the 19th century in the Southern imagination, that the greatest war hawks tend to be people who never actually fought, and that America still hasn't reckoned with how profoundly 9/11 changed its society — pointing out that the people who championed the Iraq war have never been ostracized for it. He reflects on John F. Kennedy's hard-won realization that weapons alone were never the true guarantor of American security and Kennedy's deliberate effort to dampen American hatred of the Soviets, contrasts that with the "peace through strength" mantra of the Reagan era, and warns about the very real danger of a proxy conflict spiraling out of Ukraine. Erdozain argues that the "city on a hill" mentality, however flattering, inevitably curdles into nationalism — and that whenever a country fully embraces nationalism, someone always loses their freedom. But his book isn't a counsel of despair: he makes the case that America's singular ability to assimilate immigrants is one of its true superpowers, and that genuine patriotism means challenging the country to actually live up to the ideals it committed to paper. His closing pitch for why both a liberal and a conservative should read the book is the heart of the whole conversation — loving a country, like loving a person, means holding it to its highest self rather than excusing its worst instincts.

Finally, Chuck gives his Top 5 most overlooked races and then, in "Ask Chuck", he answers your questions about the U.S.-Iran situation and sports playoff systems.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
01:42 Election reaction
12:22 Failure for Trump in Iran
23:59 Beginning of end of Trump era
36:11 Week's most underreported story
49:13 Dominic Erdozain (To Love A Country) joins The Chuck ToddCast
51:13 Americanism vs. the promise of America
52:13 America’s founders believed in John Locke’s natural rights
53:28 2016 was traumatic between Brexit & election of Trump
54:28 Biden’s “This is not who we are” framing of nationalism wasn’t accurate
55:28 American exceptionalism can’t come with looking down on others
57:13 America is a pioneer democracy but slow on feminism & racial equality
58:28 Democracy can’t be imposed on others, it requires consent
59:43 Democracy can become a shell for something tyrannical
1:00:58 America’s “southern identity” was created by the civil war
1:01:43 The civil war seeded worst possible grounds for black freedom
1:02:43 How did Germany avoid “lost cause” mentality seen in American south?
1:03:58 What the Gettysburg address got wrong
1:04:58 The language of the address was used to justify many other wars
1:05:58 The myth is that unity comes through blood and conflict
1:06:43 Today’s “elites” are basically the “Yankees” of the 19th century
1:08:13 A civil society is one that’s in a state of peace
1:09:28 Avoiding a cult mentality when professing love of country
1:11:13 When a country embraces nationalism, someone loses freedoms
1:13:43 Accounts of history tend to be infused with the authors biases
1:15:43 The “patriotic myth” infused into cold war & Iraq war mythology
1:16:28 We create new myths to tell stories about ourselves
1:17:58 Kennedy tried to dampen down hatred of the Soviets
1:20:13 Greatest war hawks tend to be people who never fought
1:21:28 We haven’t reckoned with the changes to American society post 9/11
1:22:58 The people who championed Iraq war haven’t been ostracized
1:24:58 JFK realized that weapons weren’t the guarantor of American security
1:26:43 America’s projection of soft power wasn’t purely altruistic
1:28:13 What does Reagan’s “peace through strength” mantra mean to you?
1:29:58 Fear the development of a proxy war that spirals out of Ukraine
1:32:13 The “city on a hill” mentality will lead to nationalism
1:35:13 America’s ability to assimilate immigrants is one of its superpowers
1:36:28 Book is challenging Americans to live up to the ideals we put on paper
1:37:58 Why should a liberal and a conservative read this book?
1:43:50 - Top 5 Most Underrated Races
1:53:23 - Ask Chuck
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Chuck Todd opens on the surreal split-screen of a president desperate to manufacture a legacy: in the same stretch of days, Trump announced a "deal" with Iran, and hosted a UFC fight on the White House lawn. He argues the Iran deal is barely a deal at all — it's an agreement to begin a new negotiation, the diplomatic equivalent of trying to salvage a tie from a war that was always an own goal. The stated goal was to dismantle Iran's nuclear program; instead Iran never capitulated, will see roughly $24 billion in assets unfrozen along with oil export relief, and is essentially being paid off by the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz it closed in the first place. Chuck’s verdict is blunt: Iran didn't win the war outright, but it absolutely humiliated the United States, the deal looks far closer to an Iranian victory than an American one, it pointedly excludes Iran's proxies and effectively bails out Hezbollah, and it may actually increase Iran's incentive to pursue a nuclear weapon down the line — assuming the whole fragile arrangement doesn't simply fall apart by Friday. The biggest loser of the entire episode, Chuck argues, is Bibi Netanyahu, who alienated a generation of Democrats and thought he could manipulate Trump only to get burned, much as Trump assumed Iran would fold as easily as he believed Venezuela would. He gives Trump exactly one piece of credit — at least he knew when to fold, because the outcome could have been far worse — before pivoting to the deeper, sadder story underneath all of it: a president obsessed with celebrating himself and desperate for lasting recognition, who wants to define popular culture, slap his name on the federal government the way he does his golf courses, and who threw himself a grotesque UFC-fight birthday party on the White House lawn that's terrible politics.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit June 17th, 1994… when OJ Simpson was chased by police in his white Ford Broncos. He argues that news executives learned that sensationalized news coverage could create a large, reliable viewership… and this would change the news business forever. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
03:30 Trump announces deal with Iran,
04:00 Trump hosts UFC fight on White House lawn
04:30 White House lashes out at the Weather Channel for storm forecast
05:15 Trump is trying so hard to leave his mark on history*
05:45 Deal is basically an agreement to begin a new negotiation
07:15 The Iran war was an own goal by Trump, can he salvage a tie?
08:00 Goal was to dismantle nuclear program, Iran hasn’t capitulated
08:45 Iran says that $24B in assets will be unfrozen & oil export relief
10:00 Trump is basically paying off Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
10:30 Iran didn’t win the war, but they did humiliate the United States
11:00 The deal didn’t include proxies, and bails out Hezbollah
12:00 Deal looks closer to an Iranian victory than an American one
14:00 Iran will now be more incentivized to get a nuclear weapon
16:15 There’s a real chance this deal could fall apart by Friday
17:30 The biggest loser from the war/deal is Bibi Netanyahu
18:00 Bibi has alienated a generation of Democrats
19:00 Bibi thought he could manipulate Trump & it burned him
21:15 Trump thought Iran would be easy like Venezuela
22:00 At least Trump knew when to fold, outcome could be worse
24:00 Trump is obsessed with celebrating himself
24:30 Trump is desperate for lasting recognition
26:30 Trump wants to define popular culture himself
27:15 Like his golf courses, Trump wants to put his name on the government
28:30 Workers hid scaffolding when taking Trump’s name off Kennedy Center
30:00 The UFC fight at the White House just feels gross
30:30 The UFC fight is terrible politics, people don’t like it
31:30 Trump threw his own birthday because nobody else would
36:45 ToddCast Time Machine - June 17th, 1994
38:00 The OJ Bronco chase overshadowed the Knicks NBA Finals
40:15 The news business learned people came back for OJ coverage
41:15 OJ coverage became a format for the TV news business
42:15 Newsrooms felt financial pressure and OJ delivered ratings
42:45 The OJ chase got Super Bowl level TV ratings
43:30 The courtroom TV kept audiences coming back
44:30 The trial became like a daytime soap opera
45:00 CNN’s ratings exploded during the trial, made huge money
46:00 Fox & MSNBC launched after seeing CNN’s revenue
47:00 News viewership became a daily ritual for millions
49:30 Media sensationalized other stories the way they did OJ
51:15 Coverage began amplifying divisions & nationalized them
52:45 The trial led to the Kardashian’s becoming a media empire
53:45 Trial created the attention economy that Trump mastered
57:45 Ask Chuck
58:00 Why are votes counts released before the final tally?
01:01:15 Rick Jackson buying a crazy amount of TV spots?
01:06:00 Could war powers vote give Trump an offramp for Iran?
01:08:15 Why do our older leaders keep holding on to power?
01:14:00 Are there dividing lines in the college sports bill?
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